Microscope



NOV. 29, 1938. QTT 2,138,665

MICROSCOPE Filed Jan. 4-, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTOE'NEY.

NOV. 29, 1938. H, OTT 2,138,665

MICROSCOPE Filed Jan. 4, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 29, 1938.

H. N. OTT 2,133,665

MICROSCOPE Filed Jan. 4, 1955 5 heets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 29, 1938 PATENT OFFICE MICROSCOPE Harvey N. Ott, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Spencer Lens Company, Buffalo, N. Y.,

Application January 4, 1935, Serial No. 423

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in microscopes.

It is desirable in microscopes having coarse and fine adjusting mechanisms to locate the operating knobs for such mechanisms near the lower part or base so as tomake the manipulation of the knobs as convenient as possible, and so that the hands of the user of the microscope can rest upon the surface upon which the latter rests, to the end that the further advantage of steadiness is ensured while making the adjustments.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a microscope in which the above advantages are attained in a novel and practical manner; in which the knobs for both coarse and fine adjusting mechanisms are disposed in approximately the same position and upon a common axis so that the usual bothersome and annoying groping about from one knob or set of knobs to another knob or set of knobs, While observations are being made through the eyepiece of the instrument, is eliminated.

The type of microscope referred to usually in cludes a stationary base and an upright arm upon which is mounted the optical system in position to be supported over the stage of the instrument. This supporting arm is movably connected to the base by a transverse, horizontal pivot or inclination joint to enable the arm and the optical system to be tilted relatively to the base in a direction towards and from the user.

Some microscopes of the kind mentioned have been provided with a body tube in which the optical axis of the ocular system or eyepiece is disposed at one side of the optical axis of the objective, and the body tube is mounted independently of the objective mounting or support so that the body tube may be tilted toward and from the user to place the eyepiece into different angular relations to the objective. This arrangement has heretofore necessitated a relatively complicated system of prisms designed to receive the image-forming rays from the objective and deflect them to and direct them along the axis of the eyepiece in all positions of the latter.

Other objects of the invention, therefore, are to provide a microscope in which the image rays from the objective are deflected and directed along the optical axis of and to the eyepiece without the use of a complicated system of prisms; in which such rays are diverted to and along the axis of the eyepiece by a first or direct surface reflector, and in which such means are arranged in a novel, simple and practical manner to enable these rays to be directly reflected or diverted along the eyepiece axis in any angular position of the latter relatively to the axis of the objective.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following disclosure of an embodiment of the invention, and the novel fea- 5 tures thereof will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a microscope illustrative of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of the instrument also in the plane of Fig. 1, but with the parts shown in a different adjusted position to that indicated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section, on an enlarged 15 scale, taken approximately on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section thereof on line 44, Fig. 1. v

Fig. 5 is a perspective View, detached, of a bracket or supporting member for mounting cer- 20 tain parts of the optical system of the instrument.

Fig. 6 is a transverse, vertical section of the microscope illustrating in detail the illuminating features thereof.

Fig. '7 is a face view of a reflecting element used in connection with the optical system of the instrument of Fig. 6.

The microscope shown in the drawings for illustrating the invention is of the compound type, 30

and comprises, in general, a stand or support 20 provided with a foot 2| of conventional horseshoe formation and from which there projects upwardly a pair of posts 22. Journalled upon and between these posts 22 for swinging movement about 35 the transverse horizontal axis 23 of an inclination joint is an intermediate member or support 25 on which is mounted a stage 26 for the specimen or object X to be examined, and below which may be arranged a condenser 21 supported upon 40 the intermediate member 25 for movement toward and from the stage by an adjustable sliding connection. The parts 26-2'| just described are of the conventional sort employed upon microscopes and form no part of the present invention. 4

The intermediate supporting member 25 is provided at the rear thereof with upper and lower pairs of opposed upright guide grooves 28 and 28a respectively within which is slidably arranged a dovetail or bar 29 rigidly secured to the front face of an upright arm 30. At the upper end of said arm 30 there is detachably secured a bracket 3| supporting a forwardly extending housing 32 disposed above the stage 26. A body member 33 carrying an eyepiece or ocular system 34 of any usual or suitable construction is in turn movably mounted at the upper part of the housing 32. As will be seen upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2, this body tube 33, together with its eyepiece 34 is adjustable from a position in which the axis of the eyepiece extends vertically to a position in which the axis of the eyepiece is tilted rearwardly or in a direction towards the user of the instrument. The two views mentioned illustrate the extreme positions of the body tube 33 and eyepiece 34, and these parts may be used in any intermediate position between these 7 two extremes.

At the lower forward end of the housing 32, below the body tube 33, there is provided a lens tube 36 having at its lower end a relatively fixed objective 31, the axis of which, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 13, is disposed forwardly of, or in a different plane to, but parallel with, the then vertical axis of the body tube and eyepiece.

While the lens tube 36 and objective 3'! are shown in connection with a nosepiece 46, the parts 36 and 31 can, if desired, be used without the nosepiece, in which case only one objective at a time is carried upon the instrument.

In the intermediate supporting member 25, there is formed a recess or cavity 52 which is bounded by walls 53, 54 and 55.

Within said recess 52 and in spaced relation to the walls thereof is arranged a block or member 66 upon which the various parts of the coarse and fine adjusting mechanism are mounted. This member or block is formed of two similar, upright, substantially parallel plates 6I secured by suitable screws or fastening devices 64 engaging in horizontal alined holes in the two plates.

Each of the plates 6i is provided with an upper extension 68 in which is formed an upright dovetail guide or groove 69. The two guides together fit or embrace the opposite bevelled edges of the aforementioned dovetail 29 of the arm 36, and are forced into firm gripping contact with the dovetail 29 of the arm 36 by a screw II.

The coarse adjusting mechanism shown in the drawings comprises a pair of horizontal, alined revoluble sleeves or adjusting members which are journalled in the block 66, and at its inner end each sleeve has a pinion I6. Each of these pinions 16 is arranged to mesh with corres'ponding pinions I8 secured upon opposite ends of a horizontal jack shaft I9 suitably journalled at the upper end of the member 66. Fixed upon the jack shaft I9 between and in spaced relation to the pinions I8 is another pinion 86 which meshes with an upright-rack bar 8| fixed to the front face of the dovetail 29 of the arm 36.

Upon rotation of either one of the sleeves I3, therefore, the jack shaft will be turned and its pinion 86, by engagement with said rack, will shift the arm 36 up and down, depending upon the direction of rotation of the knob 15 of that sleeve I3 which was rotated.

The jack shaft I9 may be rotatably mounted upon the block 66 in bearings 85.

The fine adjusting mechanism for the arm 36 and. its optical system includes a transverse, horizontal shaft 96, and on that intermediate portion of said shaft 96 which is exposed between the two pinions I6 of the sleeves I3, there is fixed a pinion 95 which meshes with a gear 96. This gear 96 is fixed upon a short horizontal shaft 91 journalled in the block 66. Also fixed upon said shaft 91 alongside the gear 96,

is a pinion 98 which, in turn, meshes with a gear 99 fixed upon a second horizontal shaft I66 similarly mounted. This shaft I66 also has fixed thereupon a pinion I6I which is arranged to mesh with the teeth of a gear sector I62 fixed upon another horizontal shaft or pivot I63. The pivot or shaft I63 isv also journalled in the block 66.

The pivot I63 is disposed near the lower end of the member 66, and its sector I62 is pro- Vided with a downwardly facing shoulder or notch I65 into the angle or bottom of which there extends the upper pointed end of an abutment or fulcrum member I61 in the form of a substantially vertical pin, the lower end of which is also pointed and is received upon a conical seat in a screw plug I68 secured in the bottom wall 55 of the recess 52. The fulcrum member or abutment I61 therefore comprises the support upon which the member 66 rests.

.To overcome or counterbalance to some extent the dead weight of the arm 36 and the parts mounted thereon, together with that of the member 66, I arrange means including a tension coil spring II2 which is arranged in a hole II 3 in the upper part of the intermediate member 25 in a position to react against a screw plug H4 at the upper end of said hole and the adjacent upper portions of the two extensions 68 of the member 66.

I provide on the inner face of the upright wall 53 of the recess 52 a guide block II6 against which opposed vertical faces I" upon the block 66 slideably engage for preventing lateral displacement of the member 66 relatively to the member 25 and to assist it in its up and down movements.

The above described arrangement provides a very practical and compact structure wherein the coarse and fine ad usting mechanisms, while being entirely enclosed in the recess 52, can nevertheless be completely assembled as a unit upon the block 66 and the assembly placed into position through the open, rear end of said recess 52 before the arm 36 is placed into position. Then, as the dovetail 23 of the arm is engaged in its guides 28a it passes through the guideways 69 of the block 66. By then turning the screw II, the guides 69 can be clamped upon the dovetail with the required pressure to effect the proper operative connection between the arm 36 and the fine adjusting mechanism.

As before mentioned, the body tube 33 upon which the ocular system or eyepiece 34 is mounted, can be tilted in a fore and aft direction, upon the housing 32 toward and from the user. As clearly shown, the housing includes a pair of spaced parallel, vertical side plates I 36 extending forwardly from or forming part of the bracket 32. The front upright edges of the side plates I36 may be connected by a curved closure or wall I 3I as in Fig. 2, while the bottom edges of said side plates are similarly connected by the bottom wall I32.

Journalled on and extending inwardly from each of the side plates I36 is a short, horizontal shaft I 35, both of which shafts are alined upon a common axis, indicated at I35a. The body tube 33 is provided at its rear side with an upright tongue or part I36 which is removably mounted in a guide or. support I31 which is formed with opposite parallel side faces I38. The guide I31 extends between the inner parallel faces of the side plates I36 at the rear of the housing 32. At its lower end the guide or support I3! is provided with a cross bar I46 to which is rigidly secured, as by screws I, a bridge member or bracket I43 comprising a horizontal, transverse connecting portion I44 and opposite parallel side arms I45 which extend between the side plates I30 in spaced relation thereto, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

In the construction shown in Fig. 2 the housing 32 is completed by a hood or cap having an upper wall I48 which connects the upper edges of the side plates I30 and a front wall I49 which telescopes over the front wall I3I. The top wall is secured to the transverse portion I44 of the bracket I43, and is provided with a hole disposed concentrically upon the axis of the eyepiece 34.

The housing, as just described, is desirable when the microscope is used without the illuminating means later described, but when such illuminating means is employed, I prefer to construct the housing as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6.

The arms I45 are apertured to receive enlargements I46 on the shafts I35, the shafts being rigidly secured to the arms by pins I41 passing through said enlargements. One of the arms I45 is provided with a gear sector I50 which is concentric with the axis of the shafts I35, the sector being arranged to mesh with a spur gear II upon a horizontal shaft I52 journalled in holes in the side plates I30 and extending parallel with the shafts I35, below and somewhat to the rear of said shafts. The pitch diameter of the sector I30 and its companion gear I5I are the same. To one side of the gear I5I the shaft I52 is provided with the pinion I54 which, in turn, meshes with a gear wheel I55 journalled upon the inner end of and rotatable relatively to one of the pivot shafts I35.

The axis I35a of the shafts I35 constitutes the pivotal axis of the body tube 33. This axis I35a is disposed upon or extends horizontally through the longitudinal axis of the body tube 33 and eyepieces 34. By oscillating the body tube forwardly and rearwardly, the same will turn about said axis I35a and, in so doing, will through the relative proportions of the segment I50, gear I5I, pinion I54 and gear I55, cause the latter gear to rotate at half the peripheral speed of the sector I50. This arrangement and relative rotary movement of the gears is utilized for the purpose of correspondingly shifting a reflecting element positioned in the optical axis of the eyepiece 34 so that said element can reflect image forming rays from the objective 31 along said axis of the eyepiece regardless of the angular position to which the body tube and eyepiece may be shifted relatively to the axis of the objective 31.

For this purpose, I provide a suitable reflecting element I58 of the first or direct reflecting type. consisting of a flat plate or suitable material having a direct reflecting surface I59. This surface may be of any suitable kind formed, for example, by coating a glass or metal plate with platinum or aluminum, or the element may consist of a piece of polished stellite. This surface I59, as shown, lies in or passes transversely across the optical axis of the eyepiece 34, and the pivotal axis I35a of the body tube in turn lies upon this face. In order to support the element I58 for the purpose described, I support the same in any suitable manner upon the inner ends of the two shafts I35 between the gear I55 and a disk or member I60 on the other shaft I35 so as to move with the gear I55. The gear I55 and disk I60 are connected by a cross piece I62 having at each end offset portions I63 which are slotted at I64 to receive the opposite side edge portions of the reflecting element I58. The element is re leasably secured in said slots by screws I65 extending through the cross piece and bearing against a pad I66 engaging the back face of the element I58 so as to press the upper face of said element I58 against the top walls of the grooves I64.

Stationarily arranged upon the optical axis of the objective 31 at the upper end of the lens tube 36, and preferably within the housing 33, is a prism I having an inclined reflecting face I1I arranged at 45 to the optical axis of the objective 31 and disposed so as to divert or reflect image-forming rays from the objective horizontally in a rearward direction. When the eyepiece 34 and body tube are in a vertical position shown in Fig. 2, with the optical axis of the eyepiece 34 extending parallel with the optical axis of the objective 31, the reflecting face I59 of the element I58 is disposed at an angle of 45 to the axis of the eyepiece 34 and parallel with the reflecting surface I1I of the prism I10. In this position of the parts, the reflected rays from the prism I10 impinge upon the reflecting surface I59 of the element I58 at an angle of 45 to said element and are reflected therefrom at an equal angle along the axis of and into the eyepiece 34.

For practical reasons I may elect to form the gear sector I50 by utilizing a gear wheel, which is rigidly secured as by welding or soldering a portion of the periphery thereof in an arcuate recess I in one of the arms I45 of the bracket I43. The other arm I45 is similarly recessed to receive a disk I16 of similar diameter to the gear forming the sector I50, and this may have gear teeth formed thereon so as to thereby permit the gear I5I and pinion I54 to be arranged at either the right or left hand side of the shaft I52, as desired. Similarly, the disk I60 may, if desired, have gear teeth corresponding to the teeth of the gear I55 for operative engagement with the pinion I54 when the latter is used at the other side of the shaft I52. However, no teeth are shown on the disks I60, I16. Obviously, the gear sector I and a part corresponding to the disk I10 may be formed as integral parts of the arms I45.

The body tube 33 may be secured in any of its angularly adjusted positions by suitable clamp jaws I80 which may be shifted into and out of gripping engagement with the side faces I38 of the support I31 by a handle I8I, in a well known manner.

The construction described provides a practical and very efficient means for reflecting and directing the image forming rays from the objective to the eyepiece in any position of body tube relative to the objective. The adjusting means comprises relatively few inexpensive gears and parts, and

only two reflecting elements are required, as compared with several in microscopes heretofore produced.

In Figs. 1 and 6, I illustrate in detail practical and desirable means whereby an object arranged upon the stage 26 of the instrument can be illuminated by a concentrated beam of light directed into and passing downwardly through the lens tube 36 in which the objective 31 is mounted.

For this purpose, a second right angle prism I92 is mounted in the housing I93 with one of its sides arranged in inclined parallel relation to the inclined face of the prism I10 and preferably in contact therewith. The face of said prism I92 which extends at right angles to the inclined face thereof just described is also arranged upon the axis of the objective 31 and acts as a reflecting surface I94. This surface is arranged at the 45 inclination shown so that the base of the prism extends vertically and faces toward a side wall I95 of the housing. The side wall I95 is provided with a suitable lens I91 through which a cylindrical beam of light I96 is directed so as to pass through the base of the prism to the reflecting face I94 thereof. Since the inclined reflecting face I94 extends across the axis of the objective 3'! the rays of light forming the beam I96 will be reflected by this surface I94 downwardly through prism I19 and the lens tube along the axis of and through the objective 3'! and thus will illuminate the object upon the stage.

The opaque reflecting surface I" of the prism I19 is, as shown in Fig. 7, of approximately elliptical form and is of such dimensions that the periphery of this reflecting surface lies well within the beam of light passing downwardly through the lens tube. This arrangement is such that the opaque reflecting surface I'll will obstruct and prevent those rays of light forming the interior of the beam from passing beyond the surface "I to the objective 31 and only those portions of the beam extending outwardly beyond the edges of the surface I" wil reach said objective. In this manner, the light reaching the objective will be in a form of a hollow cone, the walls of which may be of substantially the same thickness throughout since the elliptical reflecting surface I'II being disposed at 45 to the axis of the beam, forms or produces a substantially circular obstruction when viewed along the optical axis of the objective 31.

The objective, in order to be effective, must, of course, be adjusted into focus with the object. It follows that the hollow beam or cone of light passing through the objective will produce a localized and strongly concentrated light area upon the object for illuminating it.

Under these conditions, the illuminated object X on the stage, being in the focus of the objec-' tive 31, the image rays therefr'om,will, as shown in Fig. 6, pass upwardly from the objective through the central portion of the lens tube 36, as usual. These imageforming rays therefore will pass along the optical axis and within the hollow beam of light coming in the opposite direction without intermingling therewith.

The housing I93 is formed with a fixed top wall I98 inclined in parallel relation to and adjacent the face I94 of the prism I92, and at the lower edge thereof there is a spring-hinged cover plate I99 the spring I99b of which bears upon the plate and yieldingly holds it against the wall I 99a of the housing to close the housing. By this construction the housing will be closed at all times, since the cover I99 will move with the body tube when it is adjusted to different angular positions.

Any suitable means may be used for providing the source of light, that shown in the drawings, see Figs. 1 and 6, comprises a tube or housing 299 having an electric lamp or bulb 29I suitably mounted therein and which is supplied with. electric current by means of the standard attachment 292.

There is arranged in the tube or housing 299, in line with the lamp 29I, a pair of condensing lenses 294 through which the rays of light pass from the lamp 29I through the adjacent end of the housing 299, which may be provided with a closure cap having a transverse glass wall 295.

" In use the illuminating device is arranged so that the lamp 29I and the condensing lenses are disposed opposite the lens I91 of the microscope,

with the optical axis of the lamp, the condenser and said lens I91 in approximately coincidental relation so that the resulting cylindrical beam of light I96 will be properly directed against the reflecting surface I94 of the prism I 92 and thence be reflected downwardly thereby through the lens tube 36 and the objective 31. The lens I91 is preferably of such form as to cause the rays forming the beam of light I96 to converge somewhat after passing therethrough so that the beam of light passing downwardly from the reflector I94 will be of conical or tapering form, thereby more effectively concentrating the light which passes through the objective.

The illuminating device can be supported in any suitable way in order to enable it to be adjusted and placed in the proper operative rela tion to the lens I91 and prism I 92, this being effected in the construction shown by a series of articulated members 298 having universal joint connections with each other, the series being connected at one end by a fitting 299 to the housing 299 of the illuminating device and at its other end by a fitting 2I9 to the stage 26 of the microscope.

While the invention has been illustrated in connection with a microscope of the compound type, it will be obvious that some features thereof are equally adapted for use in microscopes of other types.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a microscope, an objective, a mounting therefor, an ocular system, a body member upon which the latter is mounted, a reflecting element mounted in fixed relation to said objective for receiving image rays from said objective and diverting them at an angle to the axis of said objective, a first surface reflector, a support therefor pivotally mounted in said body member to support said reflector in position to receive said diverted rays and direct them along the axis of said ocular system, a relatively stationary main support, a pivotal connection between the same andsaid body member, the axis of which pivot coincides with the axis of said reflector mounting so that said body tube may be swung about said pivot to place said ocular system into different angular relations to said objective, and reflector actuating means, including gearing carried by said main support and operatively engaging said body member and said first surface reflector mounting, said gearing being in two to one ratio and movable by said swinging movements of said body member to transmit motion to said reflector support to shift said first surface reflector through one-half the angular displacement relatively to said objective through which said ocular system is moved by said body member movements, whereby the rays leaving said reflector will continue to be directed along the axis of said ocular system in thedifferent operative angular positions of said body member.

2. In a microscope, an objective, a mounting therefor, an ocular system, a body member upon which the latter is mounted, a reflecting element mounted in fixed relation to said objective for receiving image rays from said objective and diverting them at an angle to the axis of said objective, a first surface reflector, a support therefor pivotally mounted in said body member to support said reflector in position to receive said diverted rays and direct them along the axis of said ocular system, a relatively stationary main support, a pivotal connection between the same and said body member, the axis of which pivot coincides with the axis of said reflector mounting so that said body tube may be swung about said pivot to place said ocular system into different angular relations to said objective, and reflector actuating means including a shaft pivoted in said main support and having thereon two gears proportioned in two to one ratio, a gear section on said body member meshing with the larger of said gears, a gear section on said first surface reflector support meshing with said other gear, whereby angular adjustments of said body member and its ocular system about said body member pivot, will, through said gears, shift said first surface reflector through one-half the angular displacement of said body member in its adjustments, so that rays leaving said reflector will continue to be directed along the axis of said ocular system.

3. In a microscope, a relatively stationary objective, a main support, a body member pivoted thereon and carrying an ocular system, which when said body member is moved about its pivot, may be placed so that the axis thereof is in different angular relations to the axis of said objective, spaced parallelside walls on said main support, similar parts on said body member which fit between said support walls and turn with said body member, a reflector system disposed in the space formed between said pairs of walls, a cover extending across said space and engaging edges of the two walls on said body member to close said space at that side thereof, said cover having a spring hinge by which it is yieldingly held against said edges and by which it is retained in contact therewith in movements of said body member relatively to said main support and by which it may be moved out of engagement with said wall edges to afford access to said reflector system.

HARVEY N. 0T1. 

